


let in a little light

by prismsakura



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Gen, HIV/AIDS Crisis, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Near Death, Swearing, Whump, and i wanted to write them interacting so, i like to think this takes place after unlikely lovers, it's almost hurt/comfort but. not quite., just some bonding time with charlotte and whizzer because he mentions talking to her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27078835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prismsakura/pseuds/prismsakura
Summary: Whizzer is visited by Dr. Charlotte in his hospital room. A bit of bonding ensues.
Relationships: Whizzer Brown & Dr. Charlotte, Whizzer Brown/Marvin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	let in a little light

**Author's Note:**

> "oh let's make a short ficlet!" she said. "it totally won't take up time for me to write my other important wip!" she said.   
> *writes 1002 words of charlotte talking to a depressed whizzer*  
> "ah," she said, unsurprised.

Sunlight was always said to rejuvenate you, give you energy and vitamins and all that shit. 

Whizzer never really cared much about that. All the sun ever gave him, as far as he was concerned, was some sunburns and burning hot days perfect for staying indoors. 

Now, though, after staying several weeks in a dim tile room staring up at a flickering fluorescent lightbulb that burned out his eyes, Whizzer had to admit that he missed it. 

It may be a little foolish that he was trying to soak up the little light that poured in through the curtained windows, as if it would help, but at this point Whizzer didn’t care. He was dying, for Pete's sake. A little delusion couldn’t hurt.

It was rather nice, at this time of morning. It must have been seven or eight when Whizzer woke up. He didn't bother to check the clock – he wasn't sure if he trusted its accuracy. Nevertheless, the glow washed over the room with calm. You could almost hear New York wake up, as the sounds of cars and buses slowly increased as time went on. 

Birds flapping their wings outside the window reminded Whizzer that it was spring.

The season of life. Seems ironic that Whizzer was going to die in the season of life.

The door opened, breaking him out of his thoughts. He turned, admittedly in surprise, to the newcomer. 

"Hey," Doctor Charlotte greeted. 

"Hey," Whizzer greeted back, ignoring the pain in his throat like always. He immediately started to prop himself up. "What're you doing here?"

"Just visiting," Charlotte said, shutting the door and rushing over to him. "Stay down, you know you can't exert yourself."

Whizzer huffed, but lay down as Charlotte started adjusting his bed. "What does it matter? It's not gonna change the outcome."

"Your pessimistic view is present, as always," Charlotte snarked. 

"You mean _realist_ view," Whizzer laughed dryly. 

Charlotte's face immediately fell, and Whizzer couldn't help but feel bad.

She turned towards the light switch. "It's dim. Do you want the light on?"

Whizzer raised a hand. "Nah, I'm good. I like the…" He gestured vaguely as he tried to pinpoint the atmosphere. "...I like it like this."

Charlotte nodded, understanding. "You hanging in there?"

“By a thread,” Whizzer said. He smacked his lips a few times. "I do need a glass of _water_ , I think. My mouth is as dry as Arizona."

Charlotte hummed as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a glass and pitcher. "You ever been to Arizona?" 

"Few times. Visiting a homophobic aunt."

Charlotte chuckled as she poured water into the glass. "Boy do I feel that." 

Whizzer smiled up at her as he accepted the cup. "Thanks." 

He took a sip of the water, and barely swallowed the pang in his throat. 

“Ugh,” he rasped. “This sucks.” He laughed, then started coughing, reaching an arm up to cover his mouth as he shook. Whizzer saw Charlotte move out of the corner of his eye, and raised a hand to stop her. 

“When I don’t drink water it hurts,” he said, as the coughs died down. “Then I drink water, and it hurts.”

His head collapsed into the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, at the little cracks and missing fragments. 

“It all hurts,” Whizzer muttered.

He was still aware that Charlotte was staring at him. He let out a weak chuckle. 

“So sorry you have to see me whining like this,” he said. He meant it.

“Don’t worry,” Charlotte sighed. “I see whining all the time.”

Whizzer scratched the coarse surface of the glass. The air conditioning hummed through the room, but it couldn’t seem to do much about the uncomfortable warmth creeping in. 

“Doctor,” Whizzer whispered. “In _plain English_.”

He paused, then continued, “Tell me, why was I chosen? Why _me,_ of all men?”

Charlotte stared at him. Whizzer hated how her eyes betrayed the pity she felt, how her brows furrowed. She looked away. 

“Hey, Doc.” Whizzer’s tone lightened. “Hey, here’s the good part. At least death means I’ll never be scared about _dying_ again.” 

Dr. Charlotte cracked a small, albeit pained, smile. She turned back to him. “Marvin says you’re always so _witty_. Often to your detriment.” 

Whizzer felt many things at the mention of Marvin. Happiness, warmth, guilt, upset. All at the fact that Marvin was probably at home, in his snug little maroon jacket, watching Three’s Company, or maybe he was arguing with Trina again about Jason’s bar mitzvah, while his lover was sitting incapacitated in a hospital bed, dying from the most bullshit virus in the United States.

“Did he now?” Whizzer said. “Well, fuck him.”

“Oh, _please_ ,” Charlotte snorted. “You love him. The fact that he knows so much about you is enough proof of that.”

Whizzer faltered. 

“... yeah,” he said quietly. 

That was still hard to admit.

“I miss him,” he said. “Though I see him every goddamn day. He’s crazy. But I miss him.”

That was easier. 

Charlotte tenderly laid a hand on his shoulder. “I know.”

Whizzer reached up a frail hand to hold hers. He smiled widely up at Charlotte, and for the first time in a while, it wasn’t even slightly forced. 

Charlotte sighed, and removed her hand, putting it into a pocket. “Well, I’m off. My clinic opens in thirty minutes.”

“Right.” Whizzer nodded. “Thanks for stopping by, Char.”

She shot him one last smile, and said, “Get some rest. Marvin will probably be stopping by soon.”

Whizzer’s smile faltered. He hoped Marvin would stop coming to see him, especially in his present state, but alas, the man was stubborn. 

Charlotte left the room. 

Whizzer sighed and set the glass on the table. He relaxed into the mattress, deciding to take her advice. 

The aircon finally seemed to be working as the amount of honks and shouts on the streets increased, along with the coos of pigeons, serving as some sort of discordant lullaby as Whizzer fell back asleep.


End file.
